Ocean State Soccer School
2015-2016 Soccer Academy Program
Purpose
The Ocean State Soccer Academy represents the winter/spring competitive option for U7/U8 Ocean State
Soccer. The academy program provides a bridge between recreational and competitive soccer by providing
standardized training to academy participants.
Principles
The overriding goal of the academy is to help build a solid foundation of individual technical skills to better
prepare players for competitive soccer.
This goal is achieved through two basic principles:
1) Touches on the ball: Training sessions are structured to maximize the number of touches players have on the
ball. Tactical drills and scrimmages are minimized, because they reduce the number of touches on the ball
for each player.
2) Repetition: Repetition of ball skills allows players to develop the motor memory necessary to control and
possess the ball in game situations.
Academy Director
Adam Howarth is a former professional soccer player in both England and Finland. He previously coached at
the Arsenal Soccer School and the New England Revolution Academy. He is currently Director of Operations
of the Women's Soccer Program at The University of Rhode Island, and Head Coach and Director of all 5
Higher Level Soccer Academies. Adam holds an English Football Association Coaching License.
Academy Components
Winter
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Roughly 20 weekly winter training sessions at Wide World of Indoor Sports (WWIS)
Opportunity to play in the indoor league (session 2: Jan-March) at WWIS
o This is an extra cost to parents and is not required as part of the academy
o Players must be enrolled in the academy to ensure eligibility
o Each team will need a volunteer coach from among the parents of the players
o Teams will be formed by Adam and academy volunteer coaching staff based on age and
performance in the academy sessions
Spring
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Ten weekly training sessions running concurrently with the spring superliga season
All academy players (U7 & U8) will have the opportunity to play in U8 spring superliga (superliga is the RI
competitive soccer league) & the NH tournament
o Players must be enrolled in the academy to guarantee a slot in spring superliga & NH tournament
o The superliga and NH tournament team fees are included in the academy fees
o Each team will need a volunteer coach from among the parents of the players
o Teams will be selected by Adam and academy coaching staff based on age and performance in the
academy sessions
o It is expected that players will practice once per week with their team; this practice will be
independent of the weekly academy training sessions with Adam
Our goal is to transition players to competitive soccer; however, players will have the option of OS
recreational soccer instead of U7/8 travel soccer in the spring for no additional fee
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Ocean State Soccer School
2015-2016 Soccer Academy Program
Academy Levels
- The academy will have two levels: 1 & 2
- U7s will participate in academy level 1; U8s will participate in academy level 2
- The academy 1 and 2 training sessions will each be one hour long and will occur at WWIS
- Training sessions are Tuesdays: 5-6PM for level 1 (U7s) and 6-7PM for level 2 (U8s)
Academy Curriculum
- Each week of training will have a theme
- The level 1 & level 2 curricula will differ
o The level 1 curriculum will focus almost exclusively on ball control and dribbling, with some
minimal introduction to trapping and passing
o The level 2 curriculum will focus on more advanced ball control and dribbling, as well as some
trapping, shooting, passing, and moving to space without the ball
- Both curricula will focus on individual skills; mostly ball control and dribbling
Coaching
- Part of the academy is training for volunteer coaches
- We will recruit parent coaches at the start of the winter academy sessions
- Coaches training will consist of:
o Attending academy training sessions to learn from and assist Adam
o Attending licensing courses as available
- Coaches will coach teams for the WWIS indoor session and the spring superliga team(s)
o Ideally, each team will have a parent coach that registered at the beginning of the academy; however,
in instances where this is not the case a parent from the team will be asked to volunteer as coach
- If you are interested in coaching email Dave Williams at david_m_williams@brown.edu
Cost of the Academy
- Cost for each player is $300
- This includes a total of roughly 30 training sessions, 20 over the winter and 10 in the spring
- Registration for academy also includes a slot in spring superliga and NH tournament OR a voucher to play
spring OS recreational soccer
- Players must be registered for the academy to be ensure eligibility for the winter league session at WWIS
- Extra costs, which are not included in the Academy fees are:
o Required: Spring referee fees (approx $10 per player)
o Required: Uniform Kit (approx $50 per player)
o New Hampshire hotel charges (approx $145 + tax a night; 2 night minimum)
o Optional: Additional tournament registration (coach’s discretion; fees vary from $25-40)
o Optional: Indoor season at WWIS ($90-$120 per session per player)
Sign up on the Ocean State Soccer website under the “OSS Academy” tab
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If you have further questions email Dave Williams at david_m_williams@brown.edu
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Ocean State Soccer School
2015-2016 Soccer Academy Program
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible for the academy? All U7s and U8s who want to play competitive soccer.
Will there be U8 “competitive” tryouts? No – the academy program represents the U8
competitive soccer program at OSS. Selection for the U8 competitive spring teams will be
based on academy participation and evaluation.
Is the academy coed? Yes. However, spring superliga and tournament teams may be singlegender teams depending on number and ability of players.
Does the academy include a fall component? No. The academy is winter/spring only. Players
who sign up for the academy are encouraged to play recreational soccer in the fall.
If I don’t sign up this year, will my child be able to participate in the competitive program
next year? Yes. However, we strongly encourage parents with children interested in
competitive soccer to enroll in the academy.
What is the advantage of the academy program? The academy approach is recommended
by both US Soccer Federation and US Youth Soccer, the national organizations governing
youth soccer in the United States. The academy program ensures players are exposed to
coaches with the appropriate level of experience and qualifications (i.e., Adam Howarth) and
given the same training curriculum, focusing on individual ball-control skills.
How do I get the opportunity to coach in the Academy? The academy program is also a
coaching developmental program. Recreational coaches who want to become competitive
coaches can sign up to be academy instructors under the direction of Adam Howarth, the
academy director. This enables you to learn how to teach technical skills, run training sessions,
get to know the players, and obtain coaching education/licenses, as they become available. If
you are interested in coaching email Dave Williams at david_m_williams@brown.edu
Who should I contact if I have further questions? Email Dave Williams at
david_m_williams@brown.edu
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